Introduction
To connect your computer to a network, it’s a pretty easy job that even a novice can do. A network computer will help you in many ways. Networks are more computers connected together by cables, network software and other devices that take care of the traffic. Having a network computer will allow you to share information with other network computers. You can share your printer via network this is very useful in small business that only have one printer. The most common type of network is the Local Area Network or LAN. The LAN network connects computers in a small area like a building, home or office. Having a network computer will also allow you to access the internet. Setting up a network was a pretty complicated job in the past, but with new technologies and improvements in operating systems setting up a network computer is an easy job now. The easiest way to connect your computer to a network is via a router. It can also be done with a switch or a hub but a router has more settings and it is more stable.
Step 1
The first thing you have to do is place your router on a wall or a solid surface. You have to plug in the router and turn it on. The router is very good at sharing an internet connection you can connect to the internet using DSL or basic cable. After you placed your router plug the Ethernet cable in the router. The slot will be labeled on your router like “WAN”, “INTERNET” or “WWW”.
Step 2
The second step is to connect the Ethernet cable into your computer. First off all you must have a network card on your computer, if you don’t have a network card buy one because they are not very expensive. After you plugged in the Ethernet cable in your computer plug the other end of the cable into one of the router LAN ports. When you connect the computer with the router a light will turn on announcing you that the connection is good.
Step 3
To set up your network computer you must now use the network configuration software of your operating system. You can use the Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP or if you have Windows Vista you can use the Network Sharing Center. You can find them in your Control Panel.
Step 4
Follow the instructions of the installation wizard. There will be some questions about the network like what kind of internet connection you will use. You can turn on or off the file and printer sharing depending on your needs.
Step 5
Step 5
Now you have a network computer, you can share files, browse the web or play a network game. In these days having a network computer is essential. Having a computer without an internet connection is very boring and it won’t use your computer at his highest potential. Having a network computer is fun for the whole family. You can set up a local network for your children so they can play games using LAN.
